The stability with which a rifle is held is critical to the accuracy with which it can be fired. Conversely, the ease of transporting a rifle and ancillary equipment, as well as the speed with which it can be brought to bear, can be critical to success during hunting. Efforts to balance these considerations have been made throughout the history of shooting.
At one extreme, various unsupported shooting positions have been developed, most of which are designed to rely on bone support rather than muscle support for the rifle, thereby minimizing fatigue and movement of the rifle. Many of these positions utilize a sling to reduce strain on the bicep of the support arm, thereby further stabilizing the shooting position. Although a shooter utilizing unsupported positions has little more than the rifle to transport, and can assume a shooting position quickly, there are definite limits to the stability with which a rifle may be held, even when utilizing a sling to stabilize the support arm.
At the opposite extreme, rifle rests for use at commercial shooting ranges are available which not only completely support the rifle, but which also minimize felt recoil. These rifle rests would be unworkable in a hunting situation, because they are intended to be utilized with the shooting benches typically found at rifle ranges. Furthermore, they typically rely on weight to reduce felt recoil, making their transportation during hunting impractical. An example of this is the LEAD SLED available from Caldwell Shooting Supplies.
In between these two extremes, various monopod, bipod, and tripod rifle rests have been developed. One tripod, marketed by Stoney Point, includes a rear stock support that attaches to one of the tripods three legs, supporting the shoulder stock of the rifle in a rubber covered V-shaped support. The rifle's fore end is supported by a similar rubber covered V-shaped support sitting on top of the tripod. The rear stock support is held in place solely by friction and a set screw. According to user feedback found on one website where this tripod is marketed, this arrangement cannot be depended upon to safely support the weight of a rifle without the assistance of the shooter. Furthermore, the device utilizes a shooting specific tripod. A shooter who wishes to carry both a camera and a rifle in the field, utilizing a tripod to support both, must therefore carry two tripods.
Other devices have attempted to utilize a camera tripod to support a rifle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,899, discloses a tripod mounted combined gun rest and armrest. The gun rest 10 includes an armrest or platform 12 adapted to be mounted on a tripod 14. The platform 12 includes a forward gun cradle 16 and rear gun cradle 18, each of which is mounted in an adjustment slot disposed within the platform 12. The tripod 14 is a conventional photographic tripod. The forward gun cradle 16 and rear gun cradle 18 can be adjusted so that the center of gravity of the gun is centered over the tripod 14. A hunter utilizing this device would therefore be required to carry substantial extra hardware in addition to the camera tripod while in the field.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,785 discloses a gun support device. The gun support assembly 10 includes a gun support device 14 includes a body 30 that defines a channel 42 therein, with the channel 42 being structured to resist lateral motion of the gun. The gun support device 14 is structured to be mounted on a tripod 20, which may be a conventional tripod that is typically used in photography.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,740 discloses a combination camera mount and gun mount. The gun mount includes mounting units 7 for holding a rifle, attached at either end of the mounting beam 9. The mounting beam 9 is pivotally attached to a cylindrical post 2, which is held in place by the mounting unit 25 (FIG. 7). A camera mount 21 may be attached to the mounting beam 9.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,668 discloses a weapon rest having a base 12 in the form of a tripod supporting a shaft 11. A cradle 13 is pivotally secured to the top of the shaft 11. A swivel head 20 at the top of the shaft 11 permits horizontal rotation of the cradle 13, while the pivot pin 21 permits vertical rotation of the cradle 13. A spring 15 is connected between the shaft 11 and cradle 13 to provide tension, which is claimed to enhance accuracy.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,313,884 discloses a recoil suppressing gun support. The gun support 12 includes a base member 18 that is structured to mount on the windowsill 16 of a hunting shelter. A barrel support 32 is mounted on one end of the base 18. A cradle 24 is mounted on the opposite end of the base 18. A mounting plate 44 is attached to the bottom surface of the base 18 by a bolt 46, in a manner that permits rotation of the base 18 relative to the mounting plate 44.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,823,318 discloses a rifle recoil absorption system. The recoil absorption system includes a harness 15 having a large loop 17 of webbing material extending along both sides of the four stock 25 and stock 27 of the rifle, wrapping around the butt 29. Smaller loops 13, 19 extending around the shoulder stock 27 and fore stock 25, respectively, hold the loop 17 in place. An attachment strap 21 is secured to the loop 19 of the rifle harness. The attachment strap 21 passes underneath a table 31, and attaches to the back end of the table 31 by utilizing a U-shaped clamp 37.
Upon review of the above references, it becomes apparent that those which incorporate a means of recoil reduction are all limited to a static location such as a shooting bench at a shooting range or a hunting shelter. None of the above references which includes a means of recoil reduction is suitable for use with any mobile hunting method. Others include significant additional components which would have to be carried in the hunting fields in order to utilize the rest while hunting. Still others provide only a single point of support for the rifle, making it susceptible to movements by the shooter during shooting.
Accordingly, there is a need for a shooting rest that may be utilized in conjunction with a commonly available tripod such as a camera tripod. There is a further need for a shooting rest that supports the rifle at two points, and may completely support the rifle without the aid of the shooter, while still being light weight and easy to transport in a hunting field. There is an additional need for a shooting rest that combines portability and recoil reduction.